History of Urology

The Division of Urology at Western University its beginning in 1954, when a young Urologist, Dr. Lloyd McAninch was appointed as Chief of the newly created subdivision of General Surgery. Dr. McAninch trained in General Surgery at Western University and Westminster Hospital and in Urology under the pioneer of Urology in Southwestern Ontario, Dr. Eldon Busby. Dr. McAninch did additional urology in Toronto and as a travelling Fellow, visited many centres in the United States.

The excitement of renal transplantation came to Western in the late 1960’s and Dr. McAninch became the leader in organizing animal research and the development of a dialysis unit at Victoria Hospital. In 1966, three human kidney transplants were performed as a team effort involving Urologists, Vascular Surgeons and Nephrologists.

In 1970 to 1972, the face of Urology was greatly altered by the construction of University Hospital on campus joining the medical school which had moved there a few years earlier. The Urology Division at the University Hospital was, from the outset, constructed as a nephron-urological unit. Renal transplantation became a major player in the Multi-Organ Transplant Program and was always performed by the Urology staff.

Dr. McAninch retired in 1974 due to ill health. Dr. McAninch’s first two residents, Dr. Jack Wyatt and Dr. Jack Sales were Chiefs of Urology Services at Victoria Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospitals respectively. On Dr. McAninch’s retirement, Dr. Wyatt became Professor and Chairman of the Western University Division of Urology. During Dr. Wyatt’s tenure as Program Director, the residency program expanded and training became more formalized.

Dr. Joseph Chin became Chairman and Program Director in 1990 and oversaw the consolidation of the training program to two sites, St. Joseph’s Health Centre and London Health Sciences Centre – Victoria Campus. In 1993, Dr. John Denstedt became Resident Program Director and in 1998 the reigns were passed to Dr. Hassan Razvi. In 2005, Dr Razvi became Program Chairman and Dr. Jonathan Izawa took on the role of Resident Program Director. In 2009, Dr. Gerald Brock assumed the resident program directorship. The current resident Program Director is Dr. Alp Sener.

Dr. Hassan Razvi continues to hold the role of city-wide Chair of the Division of Urology, and is site-chief at both St. Joseph’s Hospital and the London Health Sciences Centre.